The Secret Life of a Royal Bastard Chapter One
by alistair.luver
Summary: Arianna, a runaway elven slave girl carrying the a secret that only she knows, until, however, she meets Alistair. the man of her dreams, she hopes. as he comes to her rescue will he have gotten himself into more than he know about? AriannaXAlistair 3
1. The Meeting

The Secret Life of a Royal Bastard

Chapter One

Lying on my back looking up at the full moon surrounded by glistening stars, I ask myself what I seem to have gotten myself into. As I prop myself up onto my elbows and stare into the dancing flames of the campfire, I listen to the crackling of the wood within the fire and to the stumbling around of a familiar voice.

"Find anything, Alistair?" I call back over my shoulder, brushing a lock of my long wavy black hair out of my emerald-green eyes as I do so.

"Some fire wood, some rope, some flint rock, and Oh! A rabbit and some mushrooms." my blonde-haired companion tells me as he shuffles through his pack.

"Rabbit and mushrooms again?" I ask disappointedly.

"It's the best I could do, Arianna." he tells me with a saddened look in his eyes.

"What's wrong?" I ask sitting up to poke at the glowing embers of the campfire.

"Nothing," he says, preparing the rabbit to be cooked, "it's just been a while since I've gotten to do anything that didn't involve being a Grey Warden or fighting against darkspawn. It's nice, just the two of us, under the stars..." he says, looking up at the stars first and then down at me with a sparkle in his beautiful blue eyes.

I grin sheepishly at him and look back down at the fire to poke it back to life again and ask, "Remember when we first me?" I glance up at his face for just a moment to see his reaction to the question. It surprises me to see that he has hardly any emotion in his face, apart from pausing in his efforts to jam the skinned rabbit on a stick to roast atop of our campfire. His face is black and without any expression with hardly any ounce of frustration.

Suddenly a wave of serenity seems to wash over his entire body. Slightly smiling, he turns his head down slightly and resumes tending to the skewered rabbit. He sets the bare rodent in the fired to cook and then leans back onto his elbows. Staring intently at the dancing flames, he cocks his head to one side and closes his eyes deep in thought.

"I was on my way to Denerum, to trade some gems for some food and water. You were just a young elven slave girl running for your life from the Templar's..." he starts his reminiscent story.

*FLASH*BACK*

As I ran for my life from the ever approaching Templars, my bare feet ached and bled as they pounded across the sharp rocks and through the thorn bushes. I held the half eaten loaf of bread that I had stolen closely to my chest. I looked up ahead and saw a clearing, I ran with all my might to get to it before the Templars caught me. As I got closer to the clearing, I saw something moving. I reached the edge of the clearing and jumped forward as far as I could until I hit something hard, I thought I had hit the ground but then came another thud.

"Owww!" said a voice from underneath of me.

"S-sorry..." I stammered out quietly, I opened my eyes slightly to see who I had run into. I had somehow ended up beneath the blonde-haired man, who had now picked himself up and had his hand offered out to me to help me up. I went to grab the strangers hand, when I realized that the loaf of bread I had so desperately protected, was no longer in my possession. I scrambled around in a panic looking for my stolen meal, when I saw it at the edge of the woods. I crawled as fast as I could to reach it in time. I stretched out my arm as far as I could, inches away from being able to grab my prize, when a steel covered foot emerged from the darkness of the woods and landed on my wrist. I screamed in pain and terror as I was snatched up by my hair by the Templar that had been chasing me. A studded-leather glove covered hand struck me across the face, I bit my lip to fight back the scream of agony. Tears swelled in my eyes as another shock wave of pain rushed through my body from a sudden punch to my ribcage. I haucked up all of the bloody saliva that I could and spit it at the exposed face of the Templar. He raised his hand as to strike me again, but stopped suddenly as his hand was blocked by the blonde strangers forearm.

"Don't touch her..." he said threateningly.

"And just who do you think you are?" asked the fuming Templar.

"I'm a Grey Warden. Now let her go." the blonde-haired man demanded.

"This elf is a thief and a runaway slave. She's been on the run from us for several months now." the Templar said angrily as he yanked down on my hair, which made my body fall down onto the ground at the arguing men's feet

"I'll buy her off of you," the blonde stranger offered, "I'll pay you a substantial amount of coin if you say that this young elven slave out ran you before you could catch her."

"How much coin are we talking here?" asked the greedy Templar.

"Well let me see how much I have with me..." the blonde said as he reached into his pack, "...well, how about I get back to you on the payment and just take the girl with me." he said wearily as he backed himself toward me.

"I don't think so." the Templar said angrily.

The next thing I knew I was pushed out of the war by this stranger, who had begun fighting to protect me from the Templar's. It was one against three, but somehow this blonde stranger had defeated all of them with only a few scratches.

I sat on the ground in the torn rags that my previous owners had called clothes, in complete disbelief at what had just happened. Then I remembered the loaf of bread that had started the whole ordeal. I looked around to find it and when I did find it I scarfed it down as fast as I could. When I had finished gorging myself on my stolen meal, I looked up to see a strong hand, gesturing to help me to my feet. I wiped the crumbs off of my face and grabbed the hand of my rescuer and pulled myself up.

"I'm Alistair," said the blonde-haired man, "what's you name?"

"Arianna." I mumbled under my breath as I brushed the crumbs off the torn skirt that hung just above my knees.

"You're bleeding..." he said, as he looked down at my legs and feet.

"Really? I hadn't noticed." I said sarcastically. He gave me a sour look, but it softened as he grabbed my hands, as to inspect them as well. I was surprised to see the my hands were bleeding as well as my legs and feet.

"Let me help you." Alistair said softly.

"Why?" I snapped at him, "So you can hold it over my head and make me your eternal slave?" I screamed at him. _'Why would he want to help me? He's a human. A filthy, greedy human who wants nothing more than to satisfy himself first above all else.'_ I thought to myself.

"No, actually, I just want to help you." he said softly as he looked me in the eyes. I was reluctant to let him help me with my wounds, but to my surprise, Alistair skillfully wrapped my wounds with clean bandages.

When he finished tending to my wounds, he gave me a flask of water and told me to drink. After I had finished the water we sat and talked until the sun had set.

"So, why are you being to nice to me? I mean, you must want something in return." I asked him as he started to make a fire.

"And why would I? Why do you ask me that? You seem as if you have never known generosity." he said as he gave me a confused look.

"Well nobody has ever just done something for me without wanting something in return, and the fact that you're a human doesn't help any. All of the humans that I've ever encountered have either been those chauvinistic-pigs you call Templar's, or fat-disgusting slave trading men who think they can get away with whatever they want because elves aren't considered important enough." I ranted on about my past experiences with the human race, as Alistair set up a tent.

"Well I can understand how you hate humans, especially with the experiences that you've had. But I assure you, I'm nothing like those other humans that you've met in the past." he said with a sincere look in his eyes.

"Okay then, I believe you, buy I'm going to let you know now, I don't like you, and I plan on it staying that way." I said as I glared at him.

"O-okay." he stammered out looking at the base of the fire.

"I'm going to go to bed now." I said as I rolled over on my mat.

"Alright then. Goodnight." Was the last thing I heard him say before I drifted off into dream world.

*ARIANNA'S*DREAM*

I was running, but I had no idea why. Nothing was chasing me, and the only sounds I heard were my feet hitting the stone beneath me and the sound of my own breathing.

It was strange being in a place so dark and terrifying that was supposed to be a dream. The I realized that it wasn't a dream, nor even a nightmare, but a memory, and a horrible one at that. And I was trying to outrun my past.

I realized what part of my past I was reliving, the worst three months on my entire life. Worse than the elven slave camp. even though that was where I spent a majority of my childhood, before I was sold to a greedy man and his family to be a personal slave for his eldest son.

Thomas was his name, a handsome looking boy, but he had the temperament of a child and his father would have no less than the best for his favorite child. The boy was more spoiled than possibly imaginable, it seemed as if he had never heard the word _'No'_ before. The time I spent serving Thomas was the worst in my life.

One day, after the sun had set and the moon had risen high into the night sky, as I lie, sleeping in my quarters. I awoke suddenly to a loud shuffling of my sheets. The moon shown through a small window to light up the intruders face.

"Don't scream or I'll kill you." whispered the familiar voice as I felt a knife being pressed against my throat.

_'Thomas!'_

"What do you want?" I whispered back to him. I asked the question, knowing very well what it was that he wanted.

"You will be mine." he declared as he ripped off my night gown. I gasped at the sudden wave of coldness that washed over my body. My eyes had closed shut at the sudden pressure of my clothes being town away from my body. When I opened them I saw that Thomas wore nothing more than his robes, loosely tide around his waist. The massive bulge at the base of his torso confirmed my suspicions that he wasn't for me to attend some midnight chores.

He grabbed my hair and brought my face to his and shoved his tongue into my mouth. I felt three of his massive fingers being shoved into me harshly. I groaned at the waves of pain that were sent radiating throughout my entire body. Thomas took off his robes and then climbed on top of me...

*DREAM*END*


	2. Thunderous Explanations

The Secret Life of a Royal Bastard

Chapter Two

I tossed and turned violently in my sleep and shouted out in terror for the nightmare to end.

"Arianna! Wake up! You're having a bad dream!" Alistair's voice snapped me out of my hellish nightmare.

"I'm okay. Just a bad dream..." I told myself with relief in knowing that was all it was. But then reality hit me and I remembered what my dream was about and how it was a memory more than anything.

"Are you alright?" Alistair asked with a concerned expression on his face.

"I'm fine." I said harshly.

"Are you sure? You seem to be quite shaken." his questions infuriated me. I rose to my feet as anger consumed my body.

"Why do you care so damn much?" I screamed at him.

"I just thought tha-" Before he could finish his sentence I cut him off harshly.

"Just thought what? That you could just come to my rescue and take me away from all the pain and humiliation of being a slave?" Tears welled in my eyes as my anger grew. "All humans are the same! Especially you men! All you want is one thing! You don't even care how it affects the other person! Dammit, Thomas! You have no idea how much you make me want to kill myself because of you damn bastard child growing in my womb!" As soon as I had finished screaming my lungs out, I realized what I had said and to whom I had said it to.

Before he could react I ran off and into the darkened forest. The next thing I knew I was standing at the edge of a small pond, watching the still water glisten under the moonlit sky. I found myself wanting to relax in the cool water.

I stripped out of the filthy, torn rag that was called a dress. My stomach poked out only slightly, but I knew what a _huge_ responsibility it would be once the child greeted the world. Slowly I dipped my feet into the calm waters, then I immersed my whole body into the cool waters. My body came to rest on a large rock in the shallow pond, I sat there for what seemed like an eternity before a rustling in the bushes behind me disturbed my blissful peace.

"Arianna...are you alright?" his voice seemed to have just the right thing to bring me back to reality. I couldn't seem to find anything to say to him. I felt horrible, I had scream at this man, who wanted nothing more than to just help me, about something that he had no idea about. I blamed him for all the problems that I had with all my past experiences with humans.

I turned around to face him. The moon made it look as though he were glowing. Slowly I stood up out of the water and I let it all drip off of my body. I saw Alistair's face start to turn shades of red, but he could not bring himself to look away.

His eyes were not focused on my breasts, nor on my womanhood, but on the small bump that was the child growing within my womb. I looked at him and placed my hands on my belly.

"If I am going to continue to care for this child, I'm going to need someone strong to be at my side to help me." I looked at him to watch his face and read his expressions. His face suddenly got very serious and he took his gaze away from my womb and looked me in the eyes.

"Arianna...I had no idea what happened to you, but now that I _do_ know, I would be honored to help you raise your child." He walked over towards me and placed his hands on top of mine. "Let's go back to camp, it's been a long night." He wrapped a blanket around my shoulders and guided me away from the glowing pond and back towards camp.

I awoke the nest morning, in the tent that Alistair had set up for himself. As I sat up the blanket that was covering me fell off and exposed my bare breasts, I shrieked out at the sudden rush of cold air and scrambled to cover myself back up. I tucked the blanket under my arms and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. I looked around the inside of the tent and could not find my clothes that I wore the day before. Then I noticed a small pile of clothe in the corner of the tent. I slipped into the tan colored dress, the sleeves fell off of my shoulders and hung onto my upper arms. The skirt was clean and hung down just above my knees, and it was made from a soft material that was as smooth as silk but as tough as leather.

I crawled out of the test to find a still sleeping Alistair. Though he was sitting up against a tree, I could tell he was still asleep.

"Alistair?" I said quietly as I poked his shoulder to wake him up. The small gesture made him wake up violently and fall over from his sleeping position and into a small bush at his side. "Sorry." I said as I helped him back up. "Can I ask you something?" I asked him as I sat down on a stump.

"Anything." He said to me as he stood up to stretch. I watched as he looked around the camp, and then stopped as his gaze fell on my body and the new dress that had been laid out for me.

"About what happened last night, you promise you won't treat me any different than if you wouldn't have found out?" I asked him as I looked down at my stomach.

"Ummm...if that's what you want." he said as he looked down some.

*FLASH*BACK*END*

"I remember buying that dress hoping my sister would like it, but it seemed to suit you better. What ever happened to it?" Alistair asks me, while looking at the outfit that I am wearing. The faded-reddish looking dress has tan colored poofy-shoulders and a slightly longer skirt than my previous attire. It fits loosely around my swollen abdomen and has pretty little flowery designs at the hem of the skirt.

I gaze down at my stomach and poke my bellybutton in a little bit. The eight, going on nine, month old bulge has started to become somewhat of a hassle lately. It is starting to slow us down lately, what would be a one day hike has now been turning into three day trips.

"Well I obviously can't wear it in this state now can I?" I say to him as I rub my belly tenderly, "I think the dress is in my pack, it makes a very good pillow." I say to him, with a small smile on my face.

"Alistair smirks at me and hands me the small bowl of mushrooms and berries. I reach into the bowl and grab a small handful of the mixture. As I eat the small snack, I pick out the mushrooms first, being sure that I leave the sweet berries for last.


	3. Memories and Names

The Secret Life of a Royal Bastard

Chapter Three

*THE*NEXT*DAY*

As we make our way North to Denerum, we stop at a small isolated inn for some food. As we eat our meal, our packs lay on the floor between our feet. I notice a slight movement underneath my seat and nudge Alistair with my elbow.

I purposely drop a scrap of food onto the floor just close enough to watch what would happen to it. I see a small pale hand jut out from underneath my seat. I nudge Alistair again and tilt my head down toward where I had seen the hand come out of. I drop another piece of food onto the floor again and as soon as I see the tiny hand pop back out, I see Alistair's foot step on the hand stopping it just inches before it reaches the tiny morsel of food. Alistair grabs the fragile wrist and pulls the person attached out from underneath of the bench. The small child dangling in Alistair's grasp looks frightened and unsure of what just took place.

"Dammit, Amrona! I told you to stay in the back and do your work!" The hostess of the inn comes out from behind the counter and snatches up the small elven girl from Alistair. As she grabs the child by the back of her shirt collar, she smacks the small girl hard across the face. The woman pushes the girl away in the direction of the kitchen and then turns back around to face us with a trying-to-be-cheerful smile on her face. "I'm sorry about that. Damn elven slave brat doesn't know any better, but I guess you get what you pay for." she says as she clears off the dirty dishes from out table.

With rage burning inside of me, my hand slams down on the table, startling the woman and customers sitting around us.

"Just because you think you are better than us, means that you can treat us like _cow shit_?" I scream at the woman.

"Arianna...please..." Alistair tries to calm me down but to no avail.

"No!" I scream back, by this point I have gotten to my feet and can feel my body temperature rising. "She thinks that she cat treat that little girl like shit just because she paid for her. I'll be taking my leave now, and the little girl." I say as I throw my money down onto the table and pick up my pack. As I head towards the kitchen to tell Amrona to come with us, I see her standing at the door with a small bag on her back and a small stuffed animal clutched to her chest. I smile softly at her and notice that a lock of hair has fallen down in front of my eyes, but it is an abnormally bright shade of red, a complete contrast to the black it normally is.

I brush the lock behind my ear and extend my hand out to Amrona. As we make our way out of the inn, I feel Alistair's arm wrap around my waist.

"I'm sorry I screamed at you in there..." I say softly to him.

"It's alright. But I've never seen you do that, the hair thing I mean, not even when you told me about Thomas..." he says with a concerned look on his face.

It confuses me as well, never in my entire life had I gotten so emotional that my hair changed colors on me.

I feel a slight tugging at my skirt and remember that we have a new companion with us. Amrona. I look down to see the small girl at my side.

"Ma'am, I want to thank you for buying me from that wretched woman. I want to let you know that I am here to serve you as you wish. And-" I cut Amrona off before she can finish the speech they force into your head at the slave camps.

"I'm not your master, Amrona. I'm your friend, and I know _the speech_," I say putting emphasis on the last two words," now why don't we get you some new clothes and something to eat, you look like you must be starving."

We make our way to a small market stand and I let Amrona pick out an outfit. We stock up on supplies while we are stopped as well.

As we continue on our voyage North towards Denerum, I feel a tiny hand find its way onto my swollen belly. I look down at Amrona and smile, placing my and on top of hers.

"What's her name?" she asks me. The question makes me stop in my tracks. _'Her name.'_ I repeat in my mind.

"How do you know?" I ask her with a puzzled look on my face.

"I can see her when I touch your belly." she says matter-of-factly.

"You're an-" Alistair starts to state the obvious.

"Apostate." I finish his sentence for him.

"Yup." Amrona says.

"Ummm, Alistair, can we set up camp here for the night?" I ask him, trying to change the subject casually.

"Yes, of course." he answers back.

*LATER*THAT*NIGHT*

As Amrona lays sleeping with her head nestled on my stomach, I sit against a tree and stoke her blonde hair gently.

"Could her tell?" I hear Alistair's voice ask me from across the dancing flames of the fire.

"No." I say softly. Alistair walks over towards us and picks Amrona up to set her down inside of a tent he has set up.

As I feel the child inside of my womb kick I grab Alistair's hand and put it on the spot of impact. She kicks his hand excitedly and a smile spreads across his face.

"I think she likes you." I say to him with a smile on my face as he sits himself down at my side to feel her kick more.

"What are you going to name her?" he asks looking my in the eyes with a sincere look on him face.

"I have no idea..." I say to him as I place my hand on top of his. A smile comes across his face and he looks me in the eyes. I look at him and know exactly what he is thinking.

"I know the perfect name..." he says to me with the small smile still on his face.

"Morrigan." I say, my eyes lighting up, then saddening at the memory of a loss of such a good friend she had been.

*FLASH*BACK*

The Blight was coming to an end, but not without becoming more tragic as the battles went on. Morrigan was with us when we were facing off against seven of the deadliest dragons that the underworld could bring to earth. We were in the final hours of the hellish day and there were only three of the airborne beasts left. Morrigan was badly injured and facing a Spirit Dragon on her own. Alistair and myself were facing off with an Electric Dragon, while Lelianna and Zevron fought against an Ice Dragon. The cold was difficult for Zevron to defend himself against, as he was so used to the heat of the desert.

I was at the time about five months pregnant, which made fighting a dragon even more difficult than it already was. Alistair was so determined to protect me he nearly lost his own life defending mine. We were so caught up in trying to defeat this dragon that we forgot about what Morrigan had told us the night before while we rested up for the battle ahead.

_'If my opponents and I should be near death tomorrow, I want you to know that I am willing to take my own life and that of any other being around me. It will be the ultimate price to pay but I am __willing to pay it to save your lives. Except Alistair's of course, I would let him burn in hell for all I care' she said with a smirk on her face. 'But listen to me now,' she said seriously, 'do __**not**__ try and stop me if I begin the spell, it will only take you down with me and the enemy, whatever we shall be facing.'_

As the dragon we faced fell to the ground in defeat, I turned around and saw Morrigan beginning to cast _The Spell_. It horrified me to see my friend, preparing to take her own life to save mine and that of the unborn bastard in my womb.

"NNNOOOOO!" I screamed out as I tried to run towards her to try to stop her. I stopped suddenly as a hand grabbed my arm, I turned to see who was stopping me when I saw Alistair holding me back.

"Arianna! It's too late..." he said with a saddened look on his face as he shook his head and held it down low.

Tears swelling in my eyes, I turned back around to see Morrigan finishing her final spell. As she fell to the ground exhausted and as she bled out from her injuries, I ran to her side and held her close to me. I was angry and upset that she would just die on me like she did.

"Morrigan..." I said as tears fell down my cheeks and onto her face. "You cant die on me, you just can't!" I screamed at her.

"Arianna..." she said through labored breaths, "you are...too...loud..." she looked me in the eyes and smiled softly. "Alistair..." she said, as she turned her attention towards the blonde at my side, "you...best...take...care of...Arianna..."

"I will..." he said, as he tried not to let the tears fall from his eyes. At that time Lelianna and Zevron had limped their way over to us as they used each other for support to walk. Lelianna's face was horror stricken as she realized that Morrigan had paid the ultimate price for a life she would never get to know.

"Don't...cry...for me..." Morrigan said as she turned to face me again. The only thing I could do was shake my head back and forth widely in denial as her life slowly slipped away. I would not leave Morrigan's body until the moon had risen high into the night sky and even then, a tired Alistair had to pry me off of her lifeless body. The next day the Blight had miraculously ended, so we counted the dead and injured and then had a small burial service for Morrigan. I sat at the grave sight until nightfall that night, when I heard the faint sounds of footsteps behind me.

"Arianna...you need to eat something...and you need your rest. You look so exhausted..." I heard the soft voice of Lelianna from behind me. I could only shake my heard _'No'_ as she sat down next to me on the cold ground. "She wouldn't want you to mourn her death so much..."

"I know..." I said quietly. I started crying into her shoulder as she had put her arms around me in comfort.

*FLASH*BACK*END*

Tears are forming in my eyes as I remembered my late friend. One of them slid silently down my cheek, and I feel Alistair's hand wipe it away. I smile softly at the memory of such a close friend.

"It's perfect..." I say as I look at Alistair.

"Morrigan..." Alistair says, smiling and rubbing his hand on my swollen belly. As he says her name again we both feel the baby inside of me kick in excitement.

"I think she likes it, too." we both say in unison and start laughing as we finish the sentence together.


	4. New Beginnings and Future Settings

The Secret Life of a Royal Bastard

Chapter Four

The next day I awoke to find Alistair and Amrona having a playful dueling match. I crawled out from the tent that had been set up for me the previous night.

"Oh good, you're up!" Alistair says to me smiling and turning away from Amrona.

"HAH! I got you now!" she yells from behind him, taking him by surprise as she jumps onto his back wrapping her arms around his neck, sending him to the ground. As he lays on the ground trying to escape Amrona's headlock she has on him I cannot help but to laugh hysterically at the sight.

"Alright! Alright! You win!" Alistair yells out in defeat. As the two walk over towards the campfire they sniff the air and smiles spread across both of their faces. Alistair tries reaching into the pot of boiling stew but I smack his hand with the wooden spoon I hold him my hand. Amrona laughs at Alistair's pain as he holds his hand.

"What was that for?" he asks trying to sound hurt.

"I said so." I say with a devilish smile on my face.

"But you didn't say anything." he says with a confused look on his face. Amrona continues to laugh at Alistair's pain and then tries to sneak her hand into the bubbling cauldron. I catch her out of the corner of my eye and whip around so fast and smack her on the back of the head before she can sneak a taste of the stew.

I feel a sudden pain in my abdomen and clutch the site of the cramp. As Alistair gives me a worried look I feel another wave of pain radiate through my lower body. I try to stand up but then another crippling wave of pain grips me. I fall over onto the ground grabbing my swollen stomach. I feel a sudden wave of warm liquid rush out from between my legs and realize that Morrigan is about to meet the world.

"What's wrong with her?" I hear a worried Amrona ask Alistair.

"Go to the stream and bring me back some water." he tells her, trying to be calm but I can hear the panic in his voice. "Let's get you to the tent." he says as he slowly helps me off the ground.

"Alistair...it hurts..." I say to him, almost doubling over because of the pain.

"I know it does..." he says as he picks me up and carries me the rest of the way to the tent. Inside the tent Alistair gently sets me down and puts a pack underneath of my head for a pillow.

"Alistair...she's coming." I say to him as I cringe at another wave of pain.

"I know, Amrona will be right back with some water." he says to me as he brushes some hair out of my face.

"No...I mean _she's_ coming. Morrigan is coming. _Now!_" I scream as the pain gets increasingly worse.

"Oh-OH!" he says realizing what is about to happen. I bend my knees and bring my feet as close to my body as I can. It feels like Morrigan's head starting to rip my womanhood in half. I scream out in pain and try pushing with my abdominal muscles, "Push! You can do it!" I hear Alistair encouraging me from my southern regions.

I scream out again as the pain increases in intensity, I hear Amrona return with the water and Alistair tells her to wait outside the tent. It feels as if my womanhood is on fire because of how much pain the birthing is causing me. I give one final push and the pain starts to subside gradually. I hear crying at the other end of the tent and lift my head up to see my newborn daughter. Alistair wraps her in a small blanket after cleaning her off, as he holds her he looks so calm and peaceful, nothing like when I saw him fighting off the dragon almost four months ago.

I scoot myself back and lean against my pack for support as Alistair hands me my daughter. I take her and hold her close to me, "Morrigan..." I saw softly to her, trying to hold back the tears welling up, but to no avail, they pour out of my eyes like waterfalls. Alistair softly takes Morrigan back from me and sits next to me with her in his arms.

"Amrona," he says softly, "come in here."

"What happened? Is Arianna okay? I thought I heard crying..." she says confused.

"Just come in here and see for yourself..." he says smiling at Morrigan. Amrona shuffles her way into the tent and immediately her eyes fall on Morrigan.

"Can I...hold her?" she asks timidly. Alistair looks at me as if for permission, I nod at him, wiping away the tears from my cheeks. He moves his head, motioning for her to sit closer to us. I grab a blanket and pull it up over my legs.

"She's beautiful..." Amrona says as Alistair hand Morrigan over to her. Morrigan squirms at the continuous movement of being passed around so much.

"So beautiful..." Alistair says, "she looks so much like her mother..." he says looking at me lovingly. I blush at the compliment, then Alistair kisses my forehead and I feel my face turn even redder. He smiles at my reaction to his words. I turn and look at Amrona holding the tiny infant in her arms. It surprises me to see that Morrigan has fallen asleep in Amrona's arms. I laugh a little bit at the sight of the newborn asleep in a child's arms.

"Morrigan has the right idea..." I say softly.

"Get some rest, we'll go out and get some food." Alistair tells me. Amrona hands Morrigan back to me and exists the tent. I lay Morrigan down on a blanket next to me and turn back to face Alistair.

"She really does look a lot like you..." he says as he looks at her, "and you're so beautiful."

"No I'm not, I'm a sweaty, dirty mess right now and besi—" he cut me off before I could finish talking.

"You know what I mean, and you know you're beautiful. You're just too humble to admit it. I know it's probably not the best time, but I do care for you..._a lot_ actually, and I just wanted you to know that. And I-" I cut him off this time.

"Just kiss me already then." I tell him and lean in towards him. His face turns several shades of red, making me think of the night that we first met when he saw me naked. I blush a little bit at the memory as Alistair leans in the rest of the way to kiss me.

"Alistair! Are you coming?" Amrona pokes her head back in the tent. Alistair stops just inches before our lips meet.

"I'll be right there..." he says as he turns his head to face her. Amrona just rolls her eyes and smiles at me before pulling her head back out of the tent. Alistair turns his attention back to me and gives me a quick kiss on the lips before darting out of the tent after Amrona.

"Amrona! Get back here! Put that down! You'll hurt yourself!...or me!" Alistair shouts after Amrona. "Wait? What are you doing with that?"

Alistair's screams for someone to save him from an eight year old was the last thing I heard before I fell asleep with my beautiful daughter sleeping next to me.

*FIVE*YEARS*LATER*

I sit by our campfire and reminisce about the years that have passed by. I look around me and see my beautiful daughter Morrigan, now five years old, chasing Amrona, who is now 13 years old, around. The past few years have been so peaceful, it almost makes me miss back when there were battles against darkspawn and dragons. Amrona has grown up so much in the last few years, I can hardly remember what she was like when first met her. She's gotten taller and more mature, acting like Morrigan's older sister that she never had.

"Alistair," I say turning my attention to the Grey Warden as he struggles to set up the tent. "Have you noticed anything about Amrona lately?" I ask.

"No, not really. Why? What about her?" he asks with a confused look on his face.

"Well, for one, her skin has gotten darker..." I say pausing for a response from him.

"Well she has been out in the sun a lot since she started traveling with us." he says.

"Yes, but have you noticed that when you guys are sparring, she's very sneaky and quiet, almost assassin-like..." I saw watching her wrestle around with Morrigan. "And I've noticed she has a slight accent, too..."

"Yes, there is something familiar about her now that you mention it, isn't there..." he says, sitting down next to me on the ground.

"You don't think?" I ask him.

"No, I mean I know how he talked about all the girls in his homeland, but...maybe...he could have..." he says vaguely, but we both know who we are talking about.

"Has Amrona ever said where she is from?" I ask, looking him in the eyes.

"No, I don't think she has..." he says as he turns towards them. I turn to look at the two of them and then I look at the campfire and see that the stew I have cooking is done.

"Girls! The stew is ready!" I call over to them. They both stop mid-running and change direction and head towards the two of us.

As we stuff our faces with stew and bread, I watch Amrona as she sits on a stump with her legs crossed at the ankles in front of herself. Her light blonde hair is pulled loosely behind her head and she wears fingerless gloves on her hands. Her knee length skirt is made of a soft brown material and she has a dark green colored shirt with open shoulders on as well. _'She looks so much like him, there just can't be any other explanation.'_ I think to myself.

"Amrona," I hear Alistair say from beside me. "Where exactly did you say you were from?" he asks coyly.

"I haven't." she says with a small smirk on her face. "You've never asked me. But I guess that now that you have, I should tell you." We stare at the intently as she takes another bite off of her slice of bread.

"Well?" he asks her impatiently.

"Oh, you wanted to know now?" she asks him with a sly smile on her face. Morrigan giggles at Amrona's question.

"Yes." Alistair says plainly.

"Antiva." she says calmly, putting the spoonful of stew up to her mouth and blows on it to cool it off. "Well, my mother was from Antiva, but I never got to know her, she and I got separated on our journey here. That's when the Templar's found me and sold me into slavery. And that's when I met you." she says smiling at us.

"What was your mother's name?" I ask curiously.

"Rosalinda." she says softly.

"And did she ever mention what your father's name was?" Alistair asks, by this time he had leaned in very close to be able to hear her.

"Damien? Devon? Or was it...Evan? Zevran! That's what it was! Zevran." she says smiling as she remembered his name. Alistair and I look at each other in the eyes and both of our mouths drop in shock. Amrona stares at us with a confused look on her face and Morrigan just lays on the ground, staring up at the night sky, almost asleep.

"Why do you ask? Is he alive? Do you know where I could find him?" she asks excitedly.


	5. Promises and Lovers

The Secret Life of a Royal Bastard

Chapter Five

"We fought by his side in the Blight..." I say monotonously. Amrona's expression changes from excited to serious and the look in her eyes saddens.

"Ohh..." she says softly.

"He _is_ alive, Amrona." Alistair says to her. Immediately she perks right back up and looks at me expectantly.

"Well where is he?" she asks.

"That's just it..." I say, "We haven't heard from him since the day he left to go back to Antiva. I assume he's still there, but it's hard to be for certain."

"Well, can't we at least go to Antiva and see if anybody knows him?" she pleads with me.

"I don't see the harm in that." Alistair says to me, "Besides, it's been a long time since we last saw him. And I'm sure Morrigan would love to see the desert."

"So it's settled?" Amrona asks us both with a smile on her face. Alistair and I both nod at her and she jumps up off of the stump that she has been sitting on.

"We'll set off in the morning then." Alistair says, picking up Morrigan and putting her in the tent. "You better get some rest, Amrona. It's going to be a _long_ journey to try and find Zevran." he says to her smiling.

Later on that night, after we had finally gotten Amrona to fall asleep, Alistair and myself lay awake in our tent reminiscing about the past and how Zevran had been so flirty with Lelianna. As we lay there, our heads at opposite ends of the tent, I feel Alistair's eyes watching my every movement. I turn and look at him and smile, he blushes a little bit and smiles back at me. He props himself up on one elbow and turns onto his side, so I do the same.

"You're so beautiful." he says to me, making me blush. He reaches over into his pack and pulls out a beautiful _red rose_. "When we were in Denerum last, I found myself surrounded by all the destruction and suffering from the Blight, and amongst all of the chaos I found this single rose. It makes me think of you actually, and how beautiful you are, no matter how incredibly terrifying the situation may be."

"Alistair..." I say, blushing even harder and taking the rose from his hand, "...I don't know what to say...except...well..." the pauses between each word become longer as I try to find the right words to use to express to him how I feel, "...I think...maybe." I sigh in frustration and then I figure out the exact words I need to say. "I love you, Alistair. And I can't see my life without you in it, I just wish I would have told you sooner..." I watch as Alistair's face becomes a dark red color from blushing. I watch his fingers as they fidget around, and as his eyes look up at me and then back down at the blanket we are laying on.

Alistair sits up and leans over towards me, "Arianna..." he says shyly, "would you...do the honor...of..." his face darkens a shade of red with each word that escapes his mouth, "..._laying with me_ tonight?" My face turns infinite shades of red within seconds and I sit up and lean in close to him. With no words to say I find my lips inching their way closer to Alistair's.

I answer Alistair's question with a soft kiss on the lips that turns infinitely more passionate with every heartbeat. I feel Alistair pull me up onto his lap by my hips, his hands dancing around my waist. I put my hands on either side of his face as our mouths open to let our tongues meet and dance about gloriously. I feel his hands pulling at the loose fabric of my dress and let him remove the garment from my body. As he nuzzles at my neck, kissing it softly, I feel my hands pulling upwards on his shirt. As I lift up the shirt to reveal his perfectly chiseled chest, I feel my breath leave my lungs and then return as suddenly as it left me. Alistair lays me down onto my back, hovering over me and kisses my lips, then my neck, and finds himself at my breasts. He kisses each one tenderly before returning back to my face.

I notice a warmth coming from between Alistair's legs, and feel his throbbing member pressing against my thigh. I tug gently at his pants to reveal his massive erection. Aching for him to be inside of me I kiss his neck and gently nip at it. One of my hands travels up and down his back, digging my fingernails into it. The other of my hands finds its way to Alistair's ever hardening member and strokes it gently. He quivers at my touch and moans softly. I feel one of his immense hands find its way down to my womanhood, he gently pokes one of his fingers inside of me. My body aches as Alistair teases me with his finger inside of my wetness. I moan softly into his ear as he slides another of his fingers deep inside of me.

"Mmmm...stop teasing me..." I moan into his ear. I look him in the eyes and watch as he blushes shyly at me. Slowly he removes his fingers from inside of me and places his hips close to mine. I wrap my legs around him as he gently slides his throbbing erection inside of my wet womanhood. I moan as he enters me and he stops.

"Am I hurting you?" he asks worriedly.

"No, it feels _sooo_ good..." I say to him. I close my eyes as he slowly thrusts himself deeper inside of me. His thrusts become deeper and faster as my breathing becomes louder with every thrust. Our hips synchronize and I feel myself getting closer and closer to my climax. I moan with every thrust Alistair makes and bite his neck softly. He turns his head to face me and kisses me with more passion than ever before. I let out one final moan as Alistair gives on final thrust and we both reach our climaxes in unison. Alistair lowers his head and rests it on my shoulder, I run my fingers through his soft blonde hair and kiss the base of his neck softly. He raises his head and kisses me on the lips softly.

"I love you, Arianna, with all my heart..." he says as he kisses me again.

"I love you too, Alistair..." I say as he lays down next to me. We fall asleep in each others arms, in complete blissfulness, unknowing of what events are taking place in Antiva.


End file.
